Anatolian Fairytale
by Sinedra
Summary: Adalade spent years listening to her mom's stories about Anatolia, now she's been dragged there for her own adventures with the handsome Prince Kail who claims her mom,Yuri, is the Ishtar from her tales.Is it wrong she loves the man her mother cherishes?
1. Childhood Memories

**Ok so I know it's not the longest chapter ever but I'm still not sure if I'm really going to continue with this though, I mean I havn't finished the series yet but I've read and know about enough of the storyline. I'm a little scared that there is only nine other fanfics for this catagory, another reason why I'm not sure if I'll continue or not so if you read this the I'm begging you to review it so I don't feel like I'm just throwing this story out there.**

**Oh it's in all in italics because this is a memory for her, so don't review asking why.**

**Disclaimer: Red River belongs to Chie Shinohara. Adalade, Ichiro, Mayu, and Ren all belong to me.**

**Enjoy the first chapter =)**

Childhood Memories

_"__... Ishtar knew she had to return home. Her time in the kingdom of Anatolia had come to an end-"_

_"But mommy, didn't Ishtar love Prince Kale?"_

_"Yes... yes she did. But she didn't belong in his world. She had been sent to Hattusa to help the prince save his kingdom from the pharaoh and his ambitious queen."_

_"She must have been so sad to leave."_

_"Yes Adalade, she was. Yet she knew their love could never be."_

_"But why?"_

_"He needed a great queen, the people would never have accepted a foreigner. The gods had not deemed it for their love to exist." _

_"But after all they had been through together, the gods didn't stop that."_

_"If they had only shared simple feelings for each other then all the battles they fought would not have been won."_

_"Why?"_

_"She never would have risked her life to save a kingdom she didn't feel entitled to help, especially after the way they had tried to sacrifice her. But he made her feel like Hattusa was where she belonged, she would've done anything to defend his kingdom, her home."_

_"If it was her home why was she lea-"_

_"Young lady it's time for you to sleep. I'll tell you more tomorrow night," my mother tucked me in. Like every night she told me tales of the wonderful adventures of Ishtar, a young girl who appeared in ancient Turkey, or then known as Anatolia, from out of nowhere._

_The girl was my idol, she was so brave. And she was just a young girl! Even though I was only seven I was determined to be just like her. I had even preplanned that I was to fall in love with a handsome prince like Kale. Even though he was the fourth prince out of eight he was in line for the throne. He saved Ishtar from the evil priestess who wanted to use her blood to curse the royal family._

_Even though they hid their feelings from each other, Kale and Ishtar were deeply in love. I was determined to end up like that myself. I especially loved how they would fight side-by-side in battles. Kale wanted to keep her safe and out of harm's way yet her concern for his safety led her to risk her life to save him. Hearing these stories were the highlight of my day._

_"Yuri! I need help getting Mayu and Ren to bed," my father called. Mother sighed, she kissed my forehead._

_"Goodnight my little Ishtar."_

_"Night mommy," with that she walked out of the room and down the hall._

_"Ichiro, stop harassing your sisters. Why is Adalade the only one ever in bed Satoshi?"  
"Because your always telling her stories instead of getting the others set for bed before hand."_

_"I'm sorry, you know she's the only one who enjoys listening to them-"_

_"Yuri, why do they matter? They are pointless stories," it went the same way every night, silence, "I'm sorry dear but it isn't necessary to tell her stories, she's almost eight. Soon she'll be too old for them and then what will you do?"_

_"I'll take care of the twins, you can get Ichiro ready."_

_I heard my father sigh, an noise I was used to by now. Mommy wouldn't admit it but I was her favorite, she loved the Anatolian stories so much herself that she gave me a name that she thought sounded like one, Adalade, instead of the traditional Japanese name my father wanted, Ayame._

_Father disapproved of her having a favorite but he never mentioned it. Sometimes I worried that they would separate and then my life would be destroyed. I had voiced my worries to mother and she merely laughed them off._

_'If I left your father he would be absolutely lost without me. Plus I can't imagine my life with any other,' she would always say. Yet I could see the lie shining behind her brown eyes. She dreamed about this man everyday. Though I knew she loved father I was sure she would rather have spent forever with this man._

_I felt sorry for her, I could see the adventures she had lived. All the thrills she had experienced were mirrored in the stories she told me. Though I knew they could never have been as grand as Ishtar's. Because in Japan you could only have modern adventures, but anything was possible in her Anatolian fairytale._

**I know the information is off but it's meant to be that way, Yuri doesn't want to tell her daughter she was in love with another man and that she traveled back in time. That is why it's not all correct. And I added this in here to help just get a sense of how Yuri has almost moved on from Kail but not quite, and to show that her daughter idolized her. Yes I said idolized, that changes the next chapter when she's older, before she has her own adventures... _if_ i continue it.**

**Please review.**

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	2. Upon the Morning Star

**The long wait is now over! The offical chapter two is up and hiatus is over! Anyway, things might get a bit confusing toward the end so refer to the bottom Author's comment for some clarification. I don't want to give anything away, thanks to people who helped throw out ideas, they did help. Anyway I really hope that everyone likes.**

**Disclaimer: Plot belongs to me. Red River belongs to Chie Shinohara**

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Upon the Morning Star

"Oh Ren, look!"

"What is it Maru?"

"It's our lame older sister!" I glared down at both twins and smacked Maru upside her head, her blue bows swayed violently. They were easy to tell apart, Maru's mouth was never shut! They truly were the most annoying pests in all of Japan. Stupid Ichiro stayed after while I just stuck walking them home, some older brother...

"The both of you shut up before I knock you both out," to think that I used to like tolerate them when they were younger... To think that I had liked my whole life back then. It was hard to imagine such a time when I looked up to my mother, she was a housewife who truly did nothing. My father was always gone on archaeological digs and argued with my mother whenever he was home... Some parents huh?

The twins continued ranting, I was so tempted to pull their brown hair and carry out with my threat. I could care less if they were going to squeal on me when we got back to the house. One year was all I had left before I escaped to college; it could not come fast enough.

I ran my slender fingers through my long black hair, almost past my upper back again, time for a cut. I had gotten my black hair from my father and my alert brown eyes from my mother. My scrawny frame had also been inherited by my mother. Ugh, to think I wasted most of my life taking gymnastics to please her merely because I was flexible like she had been. That time could have been spent more efficiently.

My brother, just like the twins, had mother's almost dark brown, almost black, hair and our grandfather's black eyes. We all had mother's waves though, and my hair almost curled toward the bottom because of them.

I hated the resemblance. Why? Why could I not stand this life? Why could I not stand my mother? Simple. Because of it's simplicity, go to school, eat, do homework, go to clubs, study some more, go to bed. I had never had a boyfriend in my life because I had always been too swamped... until this past year. I had quit archery, quit tutoring, quit gymnastics all in retaliation against my mother.

She was so nice, everyone loved her, I was told I was going to grow up just like her. It was all I dreamed about when I was little, being the kind of woman my mother was; that was while I was too naive to see that her love for my father was a lie. Oh she cared, she always seemed to care. Yet I finally had realized a couple years ago that the looks he gave her were not the same as the ones she returned. Yuri merely looked upon him with the adoration she did with everyone else... I hated her for it.

My father deserved better than the feigned love of a useless woman, who did nothing more than _try _to raise us kids. Now I never wanted to be like her, never wanted to have to pretend to love for the rest of my life. I would do everything in my power to make sure that my life took a different path than hers had.

I also hated the "Kale" from her stories, I figured that "Ishtar" and "Kale" were parallels of herself and her mysterious lover. I hated that she told them to me, I hate the fact that she made me love those stories and envy her, and I hate the man who stole what should have been my father's alone.

"Adalade?"

"What now?" I whirled on my sisters. They flinched back, trading secret glances, daring the other to try and speak to me.

Ren finally answered my fury, "Dad's home, we forgot to tell you."

"What?" Normally I knew when our father was returning to us, yet this was news to me. I calmed down immensely and watched both my sisters warily, expecting it all to be a trick.

"Well," Maru continued with her little junior high shrug that annoyed me to death, "Both of us stayed up late last night and heard mom talking on the phone with him. She told him she would have a nice dinner waiting for his return home."

I felt so happy that I was almost giddy, I hadn't seen him in months. I couldn't help but wonder what he had brought back for us this time. On his return to Tokyo, he would show us pictures from his last dig and have souvenirs for us all. The last time he had brought back an expensive necklace from Paris after visiting their collection to compare his findings. It was a silver heart pendant, a diamond lay resting against one of the curves; I always wore the necklace.

Smiling down at them both, I said, "Well, who wants dessert tonight? My treat." Both of their eyes lit up as they vigorously nodded. "Very well, you have until we reach the house to decide exactly what you want." I glanced up at the fast fading day, the morning star was already rising, dimly, into the evening sky.

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The third prince of Anatolia, Kail Mursili, stared out at Ishtar. The morning star was making her first round through the sky since his Yuri left him. It had been a hard year to endure, but he had to. He was not about to let Nakia win just because his heart had been breaking ever since seeing his love leave. It had been regret in her eyes, he was sure of it. There was no reason why Yuri should want to leave him... yet there were several reasons to go home. Apparently there were enough to crush him underneath it all.

"Your highness?" Kail's golden eyes landed on Hadi, Yuri's head handmaiden. "It's awfully early, why not go to sleep?" It was a stupid question and she knew it. None of them except Nakia and Urhi would have been overjoyed by the outcome. They all had suffered a great lose on that night just a year ago.

The most handsome man in all of the ancient Middle East gave the woman a rueful smile, "To think that I've managed to live a year. Would it have been wrong of me to hope that Nakia had gotten her way? To have Yuri and I dead?"

"You know yourself that you could never see her dead, even if it meant her never being at your side again," Hadi could in no way feel the pain that he was going through... but she knew that death was not even in his mind. Even when Yuri had first entered the palace the prince had always been concerned with her safety. "I'm just surprised that Nakia hasn't tried to bring her back..."

Kail's gaze hardened at the thought of that witch getting her hands back on Yuri, she could be here now and he not ever know... "Yuri's foiled too many of her plans, I think she's just pleased to have her out of the way for good." Or was she? Even after the people fell in love with their Ishtar, Nakia had not given up on Yuri's blood, she thirsted for it the whole time Yuri had been among them; could she give up on her so easily?

He rose to his feet in fear, why had he never thought of this before? The Tawananna could grab her again if she wanted, after all, he had never known her to submit to defeat. "Hadi..."

"Yes?"

"I'm going to bring her back," he whirled on the girl, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Hadi could hardly comprehend what she was hearing, "Your going to go against her wish? How are you even going to bring her back?"

A smile tugged on the corner of his mouth, "Get Ilbani and Zannanza... on second thought get everyone."

"I-I don't understand your highness-"

"I have power over the winds, do I not?"

"Yes of cour-"

"And I have as much power as Nakia, correct?"

"Naturally-"

"So I'll bring her back before Nakia does. That way I can be sure she's safe, now go Hadi," he shooed her away, his spirits returning for once in many many long days. "And this time," he returned his gaze to Ishtar, "I'll convince her to stay."

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**I'll be more clear on this later but, Yuri left before Zannanza died, so that's why his name is mentioned.**

**Please please review and let me know what you all think.**


	3. Winds of Change

**Alright, finally. So so so so sorry about such a long wait but here it is, chapter 3. I must have some curse where I get writer's block everytime I get finished with a stories 2nd chapter. Anywho I wanted to say thank you for all the reviews dispite its inactiveness.**

**Now for some explaining. This doesn't follow the end of the manga, Yuri left Kail before Zannanza even dies (can't remember which volume at the moment but its in the single digets) so Yuri wasn't pregnant when she left to go back to Japan. Adalade is completely Satoshi's daughter. So most of the events that happened in the manga won't reappear in this story, most of them.**

**Well I would post the disclaimer as well but everyone should know what is mine and what is copyrighted. I hope you enjoy and please do review.**

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Winds of Change

I knew that look... the look in my mother's eyes; sadness lay there, sadness over the fact that we were fighting again. It was always there nowadays, perpetual in its goal to break me with guilt. I wouldn't break, I refused. The yelling would have continued... except that my father's face was full of pain.

Ichiro and the twins had gotten used to it, the arguments were common enough now that they all merely tried to drown us out by turning on the TV and pretending that life was sweet. Dad... didn't. He looked at us both like we were strangers; sure he and mom fought, but they never yelled. Even now, _I_ was the one doing the yelling, she didn't have the guts to raise her voice.

"I'm gone for couple months and return to this?" the yelling had started right after he had left this past time, and it had just kept escalating. "Adalade, why on earth did you quit all your clubs?"

I looked down, genuinely ashamed, "I'm tired of the same old thing. Archery was fun until all the captains graduated and I was the only one ever getting a good score at contests anymore. I had no one to challenge me. As for everything else... I want a life, not a routine."

He sighed, "Dear, this is something we all have to tough out. You have to go through this first before you can move on in life."

There was nothing for me to say, how could I compete with that argument? "Well, maybe I would be more accepting of that concept if mom didn't try and force me into it."

"Adalade, if only you would-"

"What mom?" I couldn't believe the innocent act she was putting on, it only made me angrier. "Let me guess, you just wanted me to be your perfect child. Well news flash, you have one already! So why can't you leave me alone to live my own life? You had your chance now let me have mine."

"I'm only trying to lead you, to help you onto a good path."

"That's a lie," I sneered.

"Adalade." I really wished that father couldn't have been here to witness this but I wasn't going to let him believe she was doing good.

"You're just upset that you wasted your life and now you're trying to relive it through me. Well I'm tired of suffering because of your unhappiness."

"Adalade!"

"Ask her yourself dad. Those stories she used to tell me when I was little, what were they really about? A fable about star-crossed lovers, or a constant regret of her true sweetheart?" To this my father looked upon my mother with the heartbreak of a betrayed lover; she glanced at me with hurt filled eyes and ripe tears. "Dad deserves better than you!" I spat at her.

Turning my back on my astonished family, I exited my house. The hour was late and streetlights were straining to keep the darkness at bay, I wished it could swallow me whole. Though I'd never admit it, my words pained even myself... I wanted us to be the illusion we had so perfected: the model family.

I felt my own tears try to carve their way out of my eyes, I wouldn't allow them. So I concentrated on how cold I felt. My necklace felt like ice against my skin but I would never take it off. The white sheer top I had on did little to block the growing wind, the floral design proving to be more pretty and inconvenient by the minute. The white tank I had underneath it wasn't much better and I realized it was a bad idea to wear jean shorts out on a night like this.

At least I was wearing sandals instead of pumps.

After blindly passing the first block, the wind picked up. It tousled my black hair violently and made the trees moan in horror. Where had this gale come from? As I started to turn and leave a faint voice reached my ears. _"Finally, my beloved-" _The sound was cut off as I whirled toward the noise. Hair whipped up into my face as I tried to catch a glimpse of this stranger but the effort was to no avail.

_"Ishtar,"_ there it was again! The warmth of the voice did little to ease my fear. "_Please come back to me!"_

"Who are you! What do you want from me?" The breath was lost in the whirlwind and soon I could hardly keep my eyes open. I was starting to panic as I felt my shoes slip back on the pavement. No! I'd be swept away!

Sure enough, my feet soon slipped out from under me and I felt each gust lift me higher and higher into the air. I screamed as loud as I could, but I knew no one would be able to help me now... I would die, the altitude was too high now to survive falling.

After my voice was spent, it felt as though each breath of wind was wrapping around my flailing body, confining me in a cocoon of gales. It felt more like floating than falling, still I squeezed my eyes shut to hide my decent to earth.

Minutes past... or moments, I couldn't be sure, and I was suddenly aware of the sun hitting my face. The warmth of its rays kissing my cheek, the feel of grass beneath my pales, and the whispers of a promiscuous breeze. Day. Had I been knocked out? Blown halfway across the globe? Or did I die and this was paradise?

Would it be cowardly for me not to want to open my eyes?

Slowly I cracked them open and saw...the bluest sky I had ever seen in my whole life. I carefully pushed myself up into a sitting position and took in the scenery, it was a beautiful field dotted with the most exotic looking flowers I had ever seen. The day was perfectly cool and few clouds hid upon the horizon, the air was crisp and fresher than anything that had ever entered my nose. This had to be paradise, I couldn't begin to picture a place on my planet that was this lovely.

Rising to my feet, I took in the sight once more until I was sure it was burned into my skull.

Off in the distance was a large dark silhouette, a city perhaps? I started off toward it. Every step made me feel more invigorated until I was running like a giddy child, I was laughing and jumping and felt more free than I had in years. It was the first time I had completely forgotten all my problems.

My body soon tired of all my childish excursions but it could not dampen my delight. My dark brown, almost black, hair now looked wild instead of perfectly combed and my ivory skin was flushed. For once my appearance didn't matter.

The only thing that did was the strange structure that was rising before my eyes. The silhouette I had been following earlier was clearing up to look more like a fortress than a city, but the likes of which I had never seen before. The enormous wall looked as though it was made entirely of brick, like one of those ancient structures my father went to go explore near the fertile crescent.

"How odd, could I be in the middle east?" I was throughly perplexed. I knew we had nothing like this in Japan, we had mountains not fields and the architecture was like nothing the ancient Japanese ever used. Well, history class and listening to father's tales had paid off at least there...if I was even right.

A thudding in the grass behind me broke my concentration. Turning abruptly, I had just enough time to recognize hoof beats before they were upon me. Frightened, I kicked off my shoes and ran. Still tired from earlier, my lungs burned and my legs grew numb. I tried to ignore the feeling as I pushed with every ounce of my strength.

Praying that the rider wasn't after me had proven pointless as the sound grew louder and louder, as deafening as a large drum. They were so close now that I could practically feel the labored pants of the beast they rode.

Daring a glance back had been a dear mistake, for the moment my eyes strayed from the ground I tripped and the rider grabbed the back of my shirt, scooping me up onto his horse with him. Knowing I had not the strength to fight back, I screamed, screamed with all the air in my lungs.

The man covered his ears and his horse whinnied with fright and reared; my captor and I both tumbled to the ground and I took off once more. "Wait!" I ignored the command and kept going. "Ishtar!"

I was stupid to try looking back again, if it had been nearly fatal the first time what had made me believe it'd be smart the second? Stumbling once more, I gave a great cry of pain as I felt something sharp cut into my knees and palms. Tears ran down my cheeks as I slumped to the ground and gave up, I wouldn't escape, I would die here in this unknown place and never get to see Tokyo every again.

The hoof beats ceased and I squeezed my eyes closed once more, willing myself to disappear. Instead I felt gentle arms surround me and lift me carefully off the ground, "Now look at what you've gotten yourself into." My eyes fluttered open to look upon the face of the most handsome man I had ever seen, his golden eyes held worry and mischief all at once and his perfect face held a scowl that didn't belong. He wiped away my tears gently with his thumb.

"My brother will kill me if he sees you've gotten hurt." His skin was fairer than my own and his long cropped hair shimmered like silken gold. I didn't even notice the jeweled headband and sapphire earrings until he shifted me in his arms to bridal style. He donned what appeared to be a blue robe, it looked like a thin cotton...the style was so unfamiliar to me.

The god, for he could only be one, stared at me for a long time before speaking again. "Yuri?" My eyes snapped up to his face, why would he call me that? The fact that it was my mother's name didn't even register. "Please speak to me, it's been a year since we've seen each other and yet you are silent. Did you not miss me?"

"Who-" I began hesitantly, his eyes lit up nonetheless at hearing my voice, "are you?" He stiffened and his features became emotionless just as quickly. "You act as though you know me sir, but I promise we have never met."

The man carefully set me on the ground and looked carefully at my palms and knees, which were open and bleeding from the rocks I'd tumbled over. "My name is Zannanza Hattusili, fourth son of King Suppiluliuma." A prince! "Forgive the fright I gave you, I was merely trying to keep someone more unsavory than myself from grabbing hold of you." The jewelry made sense now but his reason left more questions developing than answered.

"Please forgive me!" I pulled myself away and kneeled, despite the pain, and bowed to him. "I didn't realize you were a prince, I was just so frightened that all I could think about was running and trying to figure out where I was and-"

"Stop." He placed a hand on my shoulder, his tone pleading. "There is no need to apologize, and no need for _that_." He gestured to my bowing and I nervously stopped.

"But- but your a prince-"

"I never asked you to treat me like one."

"I was always taught to treat others with the utmost respect." Even if I didn't treat my own mother with it. "I wouldn't want to offend you."

He frowned at me and walked over to his horse, a beautiful and strong looking bay. "The only thing I'm worried about is you, and my ringing ears. Those are some nasty cuts."

"Nothing a bit of antiseptic and band-aids won't fix really," I tried to reassure him and hide my flushed face.

"Bandade? Antisetic? What are those?" His face held a look of such innocent confusion that I almost laughed, if I wasn't confused myself. How could he not know what a band-aid even was? Sure, some countries really suffered and were without many things, but surely he knew of a band-aid. My Japanese couldn't be that bad...I was a native afterall and he wasn't. Could he?

"Antiseptic kills the germs and a band-aid covers the wound."

"Ah, so they are much like a salve and bandages." He smiled at his comparison. It was close enough that I smiled in return and nodded. "Well, since I only have cloth with me we shall clean the wounds more thouroughly back in Hattusa."

Hattusa? The memory of my mother's tales came flooding back to me, Hattusa, the city of Kale, prince of Anatolia. I was more confused than ever, as far as I knew Turkey had replaced Anatolia and they certianly did not speak Japanese. Nor did I speak Turkish. "Excuse me, but Hattusa doesn't exist in the 21st century."

One golden brow raised itself as he stared at the rising walls in the horizon. "I believe I should know my own home when I see it Yuri."

"My name isn't Yuri."

"Of course it is."

"It's Adalade." Another flash of worry streaked across his handsome features, but he tried hard to not let me see it. "Adalade Himuro, not the most Japanese of names but my mother was obsessed with anything Hittite."

Zannanza didn't speak, instead he knelt before me and wrapped my palms in the soft cloth and circled my knees with it a few times. While he was putting it away I took my time analyzing him again. He was tall and skinny, but his fit figure made him look positively lithe and swift. He was powerful without looking the part.

Once he was done with his simple task, he approached me once more and picked me up again. "Promise not to scream this time?"

I blushed once more as he set me atop his horse, "I promise Prince-"

"Just Zannanza please," he gave a soft smile as he mounted behind me.

"Umm..."

"Yes?"

"I've never ridden a horse before," I confessed shyly. He chuckled and put one arm around my waist.

I felt much safer until I felt his warm breath against my ear, "I swear I won't let you fall." My heart was thudding more from this encounter than the jostling ride as we approached the walls of a city that shouldn't be.


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